X-ray mammography and/or breast tomosynthesis using a compression paddle with an inflatable jacket with dual bottom layer joined at a seam enhancing imaging and improving patient comfort

ABSTRACT

A system and method using an inflatable jacket over the compression paddle of a mammography and/or tomosynthesis system to enhance imaging and improve patient comfort in x-ray breast imaging.

FIELD

This patent specification pertains to mammography and/or breasttomosynthesis using an inflatable compression paddle jacket thatimproves patient comfort and imaging results.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A significant patient concern in mammography and breast tomosynthesis isthe discomfort the patient may feel when the breast is compressed,typically between two rigid plastic surfaces, with sufficient force toimmobilize the breast and spread out the breast tissues for x-rayimaging. Another significant challenge is to ensure that the imagedfield include the desired amount of breast tissue. The reasons for usingcompression include: (1) to make the breast thinner in the direction ofx-ray flux and thereby reduce patient radiation exposure from the levelrequired to image the thicker parts of a breast that is not compressed;(2) to make the breast more uniform in thickness in the direction ofx-ray flux and thereby facilitate more uniform exposure at the imageplane over the entire breast image; (3) to immobilize the breast duringthe x-ray exposure and thereby reduce image blurring; and (4) to bringbreast tissues out from the chest wall into the imaging exposure fieldand thus image more tissue. As the breast is being compressed, typicallya technician manipulates the breast to position it appropriately andcounter the tendency that compression has of pushing breast tissuetoward the chest wall and out of the image field.

Standard compression methods for mammography and tomosyntesis use amovable, rigid clear plastic compression paddle. The breast is placed ona breast platform that typically is flat, and the paddle is thencompressed onto the breast, usually while a technician or other healthprofessional is holding the breast in place and perhaps manipulates thebreast to ensure proper tissue coverage in the image receptor's field ofview and to help spread the breast.

One reason for discomfort that the patient may feel is that thecompression force is non-uniformly distributed throughout the breast. Itis concentrated at the thickest portion of the breast, usually near thechest wall, at or near the lower front edge of the compression paddleand the upper front corner of the breast platform. The anterior portionof the breast, such as near the nipple, may receive less compressiveforce, or no compression force. The paddle may not even contact thisportion of the breast. (The terms front, lower and upper pertain tousing a CC imaging orientation, with the patient facing the front of theimaging system, although it should be understood that other imagingorientations, including MLO, are used with the same equipment and theseterms need to be adjusted accordingly.)

Some systems improve patient comfort by providing compression paddlesthat tilt as the breast is being compressed. A tilting paddlearrangement is available in various paddle sizes from Lorad of Danbury,Conn., a division of the assignee hereof, Hologic, Inc. of Bedford,Mass., under the trade name F.A.S.T. (of FAST). This tilting paddleprovides more uniform compression across the breast, and morecomfortable breast examinations.

Other methods for improving patient comfort have been proposed and somehave been in clinical use to improve patient comfort. One is the use ofrelatively thin foam pads that are placed above and/or below the breast.The pad deforms to some extent during the compression procedure and mayprovide improved comfort by spreading out the pressure to a greaterextent than using a hard-surfaced paddle and/or breast platform alone.One such pad system is discussed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos.6,968,033, 6,765,984, 6,577,702, and 7,505,555, and published U.S.patent application US 2003/0007597 A1. Another pad system is proposed inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,850,590 and 6,975,701 and published U.S. patentapplications US 2006/0050844 A1, US 2004.0156472 A1 and US 2003/0099325A1, all naming as the inventor Benjamin M. Galkin Such pads are nottransparent to visible light. As a result, if such a pad is between thebreast and the compression paddle, the breast will not be visiblethrough the paddle, and this can impair the technician's effort toposition and manipulate the breast during compression. The pad needs tobe made of fairly dense thin form, so as to provide meaningfuldeformability when compressed under or above the breast. If the foam padslips during positioning and as a result does not cover the entireimaging field, an edge of the pad may cause image artifacts.

Another system for improving patient comfort has been proposed for adifferent purpose—to immobilize the breast during biopsy—by ScientificBiopsy (www.sbiopsy.com). It is understood to use a soft, trough-shapedsupport to cradle the breast and a flexible band that wraps over thebreast to impose a holding force. A thin plastic sheet compressing abreast for ultrasound examination rather than for x-ray imaging isproposed in published patent application US 2003/0007598 A1 (see, e.g.,FIG. 7 and paragraph [0115]) but no teaching could be found that thematerial is transparent to visible light or that the arrangement isuseful for x-ray imaging or with a flat breast platform. U.S. Pat. No.6,682,484 discusses the use of a polymeric membrane stretched undertension to restrain the breast during sonographic and/or x-ray imaging.U.S. Pat. No. 7,822,457 discusses the use of tensioned membrane tocompress the breast for medical imaging, and that the membrane may betensioned with a mechanical device or by means of an inflatable bladder.U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,578 discusses a non-rigid object holder comprising aresilient membrane attached to a first member to form an inflatablecomponent for holding the object to be examined between the inflatablecomponent and a base support.

Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,489,761 and 7,792,244 describe (1)placing a fluid-filled pillow or bag between the compression paddle andthe breast before the breast is compressed, (2) compressing the breastwith a sheet of a material such as Mylar stretched or at least supportedbetween two rods or rollers (instead of using a conventional compressionpaddle), and (3) using a paddle provided with a lining of concavecompressible material.

All of the patents and applications identified above are herebyincorporated by reference in this patent specification as though theyare fully set forth herein.

While at least some of the systems mentioned above are believed to haveadvantageous features, it is believed that a need still remains tofurther improve breast imaging and patient comfort. This patentspecification is directed to new approaches to address challenges inbreast imaging and particularly x-ray breast imaging.

One non-limiting example of such new approaches in mammography and/orbreast tomosynthesis involves the use of a specially adapted device tocontrol, distribute and re-direct breast compression forces. Preferably,the device comprises an inflatable jacket for the compression paddle.

In a non-limiting example, an x-ray breast imaging system that uses thenew approach comprises a data acquisition unit in which an x-ray sourceselectively emits an imaging x-ray beam, an image receptor receives thebeam and produces x-ray imaging information in response thereto, and abreast immobilizer that is between the source and the receptor. Theimmobilizer comprises a breast platform configured to support apatient's breast for imaging with said beam and a compression paddlesupported for movement toward the breast platform to compress the breastand away from the breast platform to release the breast. The compressionpaddle has a front wall configured to be adjacent the patient's chestwall when the patient's breast is supported for imaging, side wallsextending transversely to the front wall, and an underside facing thebreast platform. A paddle jacket is removably secured to the compressionpaddle. Typically, the jacket has a double thickness bottom that extendsalong the underside of the paddle when secured to the paddle and formsan inflatable chamber. A fluid conduit extends from the chamber to adevice to inflate the chamber. Typically, there is a quick-attachcoupling between the conduit and the chamber, so that the chamber can bein fluid-flow communication with a fluid control unit that selectivelysupples fluid to the chamber to selectively inflate the chamber. Animage processor coupled with the image receptor is configured to receiveimaging information and produce x-ray images. A workstation and systemcontrol unit is configured to control system operations thereof inresponse to operator inputs.

The compression paddle jacket typically has front and side wallsextending along the front and side walls of the compression paddle,respectively, and can be releasably secured to the compression paddle inany one of a number of different ways. In one example, one or more ofthe jacket's front and side walls comprise clipping members configuredto releasably clip upper portions of one or more of the front and sidewalls of the compression paddle. In another example, the jacket's bottomand, if desired, the front and side walls as well, adhesively adhere tothe compression paddle. An exterior portion of one or more of the frontwall and bottom of said jacket can include a friction-enhancing surfaceconfigured to enhance friction with the patient's skin. The frictionenhancing surface can comprise a surface with a sticky substance thereinor thereon.

The jacket bottom preferably is substantially transparent to visiblelight, whereby a technician adjusting a patient's breast for imaging canvisualize the breast through said jacket. A non-limiting example ofjacket material is vinyl. The jacket bottom can include markings of amaterial that attenuates the x-ray beam sufficiently to make themarkings visible or at least detectable in said x-ray images. Thejacket's inflatable chamber in divided into two or more sub-chambersthat are inflatable to different pressures. In one example, the jacketcan be made of two layers of flexible sheet material that are seamed atleast at a portion that extends along a junction between the front walland the underside of the compression paddle.

In one example of breast imaging, a technician secures the inflatablejacket to the compression paddle and makes a connection between thejacket chamber and a fluid conduit. With the patient's breast on thebreast platform, the technician lowers the paddle to compress the breastwhile manipulating breast tissue, and inflates the jacket's chamber to apressure that achieves a desired compression and spreading of breasttissue. The immobilized breast is imaged in the desired imaging mode.Typically, a new paddle jacket is used for each patient, so thetechnician disconnects the fluid flow connection and disposes of theused jacket. The inflation and deflation can be operator-powered, suchas by a hand or foot operated pump, with appropriate operator-controlledvalves, or powered under operator control using suitable electric orother pumps controlled by buttons or other interface devices or undercomputer control triggered by the operator or by positioning the paddlerelative to the breast (e.g., inflating when the paddle has reached acertain position or acts on the breast with w certain force).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partly schematic view and partly a block diagram of amammography and/or tomosynthesis system using an inflatable or inflatedpaddle jacket in imaging a patient's breast with x-rays.

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view, not to scale, which illustrates acompression paddle provided with an inflatable or inflated jacket and abreast platform with a compressible mat thereon, as a part of an x-raymammography and/or tomosynthesis system.

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically a section of the compression paddlewith a paddle jacket secured thereto.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically two examples of ways to releasablysecure a paddle jacket to a compression paddle.

FIG. 5 illustrates schematically a seam in the paddle jacket.

FIG. 6 illustrates a variant in which the bottom of the jacket comprisesmultiple chambers that can be pressurized to different degrees.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an inflatable jacket secured to acompression paddle (upside down).

FIG. 8 illustrates a compression paddle with an inflatable jacketsecured thereto, and with the combination secured to a breast imagingsystem.

FIG. 9 illustrates a breast imaging system using an inflatable jacketover the compression paddle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a patient's breast 10 is immobilized for x-rayimaging between a breast platform 12 and a compression paddle 16.Platform 12 can be the upper surface of a housing 14. At least anunderside of compression paddle 16 is covered with an inflatable paddlejacket 18. Platform 12 and paddle 16 form a breast immobilizer unit 20that is in a path of an imaging beam 22 emanating from x-ray source 24.Beam 22 impinges on image receptor 26 that is in housing 14. Immobilizer20 and housing 14 are supported on an arm 28. X-ray source 24 issupported on an arm 30. For mammography, support arms 28 and 30 canrotate as a unit about an axis such as at 30 a between different imagingorientations such as CC and MLO, so that the system can take a mammogramprojection image Mp at each orientation. Image receptor 26 remains inplace relative to housing 14 while an image Mp is taken. Immobilizer 20releases breast 10 for movement of arms 28 and 30 to a different imagingorientation. For tomosynthesis, support arm 28 stays in place, withbreast 10 immobilized and remaining in place, while at least sourcesupport arm 30 rotates source 24 relative to immobilizer 20 and breast10 about an axis such as 30 a. The system takes plural tomosynthesisprojection images of breast 10 at respective angles of beam 22 relativeto breast 10. Concurrently, image receptor 26 may be tilted relative tobreast platform 12 in sync with the rotation of source support arm 30.The tilting can be through the same angle as the rotation of source 24,but preferably is through a different angle, selected such that beam 22remains substantially in the same position on image receptor 26 for eachof the plural images Tp. The tilting can be about an axis 32 a, whichcan but need not be in the image plane of image receptor 26. A tiltingmechanism 34, which also is in housing 14 or is otherwise coupled withreceptor 26, can drive image receptor 26 in a tilting motion. Axes 30 aand 32 a extend left-right as seen in FIG. 1, and may but preferably donot coincide. For tomosynthesis imaging, breast platform 12 can behorizontal or can be at an angle to the horizontal, e.g., at anorientation similar to that for conventional MLO imaging in mammography.The system of FIG. 1 can be solely a mammography system, or solely atomosynthesis system, or a “combo” system that can perform bothmammography and tomosynthesis imaging. An example of such a combo systemis been offered by the assignee hereof under the trade name SeleniaDimensions.

When the system is operated, image receptor 26 produces imaginginformation in response to illumination by imaging beam 22, and suppliesit to image processor 34 for processing to generate breast x-ray images.A fluid control unit 36 connects with inflatable jacket 18 via conduit36 a, preferably through a quick-release snap-on connection 48. A systemcontrol and work station unit 38 controls the operation of the systemand interacts with a user to receive commands and deliver informationincluding processed-ray images.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6 (which are not to scale) for a more detailedillustration of breast immobilizer 20, compression paddle 16 typicallyis made of clear plastic and has a front wall 16 a, a left side wall 16b, a right side wall 16 c, and a bottom wall 16 d having an underside 16e. Side walls 16 b and 16 c are supported by a bracket 16 f that in turnis supported by support arm 28 for up-down movement along arm 28. Fortilting relative to breast 10, paddle 16 is secured to bracket 16 withpins 16 g (only the right pin is visible in FIG. 2) and is spring biasedsuch that as paddle 16 presses against breast 10 the front end of paddle16 lifts against the biasing force. If desirable, a compressible pad 40may be placed on platform 12 to increase patient comfort, as in knownfor system offered by the common assignee. In addition, compressionpaddle 16 can move left-right as in the current system offered by theassignee under the trade name Selenia Dimensions.

An inflatable jacket 18 is releasably secured to compression paddle 16and has a front wall 18 a, a left side wall 18 b, a right side wall 18c, and a bottom 18 d having a top wall 18 e facing the underside 16 e ofplatform 16 and a bottom wall 18 f. Bottom 18 d thus comprises aninflatable chamber formed between walls 18 e and 18 f of jacket 18. Thischamber 18 d is in fluid flow communication with fluid control unit 36via conduit 36 a so it can be selectively inflated and, if desired,selectively deflated, to a desired pressure. A quick connect-release,snap-on connector 48 facilitates convenient connection of chamber 18 dto fluid control unit 36 and disconnection from unit 36. If desired thebottom of jacket 18 can be divided into two or more chambers, such aschambers 18 h and 18 i, by a partition 18 g, and separate conduits andconnect/disconnect device (not shown) can be provided for each so thatthe two or more chambers can be inflated to desired pressures that maydiffer from each other.

Jacket 18 can be releasably secured to paddle 16 in any number of wayssuch that it can be easily attached and removed from paddle 16 and sothat it will not undergo undesirable shifts relative to paddle 16 or thepatient's skin while the breast is being immobilized and imaged.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example, in which at least some of the surfacesof jacket 18 that face platform 16 are made of or coated with a materialthat adheres to platform 16 with a force that is sufficiently high tosubstantially prevent undesirable movement between platform 16 andjacket 18 but also sufficiently low to allow for easy removal of jacket18 from paddle 16. Preferably at least the upper wall 18 e of jacket 18is made sticky for that purpose, but any one or more of the other wallscan also be made sticky instead of or in addition to wall 16 e. In thisexample of using adhesion to releasably secure jacket 18 to paddle 16,the front and side walls of jacket 18 preferably are shorter than thecorresponding walls of paddle 16 but in the alternative can be the sameheight or even taller. The walls of jacket 18 can but need not be thesame height; for example front wall 18 a can have a lesser heightcompared with side walls 18 b and 18 c.

FIG. 4 illustrates other examples of releasably securing jacket 18 topaddle 16. In this example, at least one but preferably two or all threeof front wall 18 a and side walls 18 b and 18 c are provided withclipping members 42 that clip over the top of the respective wall ofplatform 16 and thus keep jacket 18 and platform 16 secured to eachother. Clipping member 42 can be as shown in solid lines, or it can havean extension 42 a as shown in dashed line. Jacket 18 typically is madeof a plastic material such as vinyl that is somewhat stretchable and isdimensioned for a tight fit over platform 16 such that mechanicalfriction and perhaps some electrostatic force and inherent stickiness ofthe jacket material combine to maintain the jacket and platform fromundesirable movement with respect to each other, but jacket 18 can stillbe easily peeled from paddle 16 by an operator so that a new jacket canbe installed for the next patient if desired. Other example arecontemplated, such as snap connections between the side walls of thejacket and the compression paddle, or other mechanical connections.

Jacket 18 can be made of two layers of a material such a vinyl similarin chemical composition and thickness to that used for colostomy bagsand even kitchen food bags and freezer bags. Preferably the two layersare fused or adhered to each other at the front and side walls of jacket18, but not at the bottom 18 d of jacket 18. Preferably, a seam 44 isformed, e.g., with adhesive material or by fusing, joining the twolayers where jacket 18 adjoins the junction of the front and undersideof platform 16 when jacket 18 is secured to platform 16, as illustratedin FIG. 5. Seam 42 can extend partly over front wall 16 a and partlyover underside 16 e of platform 16, as illustrated (not to scale) inFIG. 5. Preferably, seam 42 is positioned such that the inflatablevolume 18 d of jacket 18 does not extent forward beyond front wall 16 aof platform 16, so as not to push patient tissue away from platform 16.

Referring to FIG. 6, the jacket's chamber 18 d can comprise two or moresub-chambers, such as shown at 18 h and 18 i, each with a respectiveconnection through a snap-on connector and a conduit to fluid controlunit 36, so that each sub-chamber can be inflated to a desired pressurelevel under operator control or automated system control.

Fluid control unit 36 can be powered by an operator, using a hand-pumpor a foot pump and appropriate manual or foot-controlled valves.Alternatively, electric or fluid-powered pumps can be used, withappropriate valves and interfaces such as buttons or switches that theoperator controls. As another alternative, fluid control unit 36 can befully automated such that inflation/deflation of jacket 18 is undercontrol of station 38, when so enabled by an operator, and in responseto events such as compression paddle 16 reaching a certain positionrelative to the patient's breast or to platform 12 or exerting aspecified pressure on the patient's breast. The controls overinflation/deflation can be a part of or at least associated with unit38.

In use, the mammography and/or tomosynthesis system is operated asknown, for example as known for the systems offered by the commonassignee under the commercial designations Selenia and SeleniaDimensions, except for the addition of inflatable paddle jacket 18.Thus, before patient imaging, a jacket 18 is secured to paddle 16 andconnected to conduit 36 through a snap-on connector 48. With patient'sbreast 10 on platform 12 or pad 40, the technician lowers paddle 16(with jacket 18 secured thereto) to begin compressing breast 10, whilemanually manipulating the breast to spread out breast tissue and pulltissue away from the patient's chest wall and into the x-ray field ofview. In this process, the technician may control the degree ofinflation of the jacket's chamber 18 d before and/or after paddle 16 hasbeen lowered to its final desired position by adding to and/or releasingfluid from chamber 18 d. If chamber 18 d comprises two or moresub-chambers, the technician may individually control the inflation ofeach in a similar manner. Once the technician or other healthprofessional is satisfied with the position of breast 10, x-ray imagingcan commence in a mammography and/or tomosynthesis mode, for example asknown for said systems offered by the common assignee.

FIGS. 7-10 illustrate examples of an inflatable or inflated jacket 18secured to a compression paddle in a breast imaging system. In FIG. 7,jacket 18 and paddle 16 are upside-down to better illustrate them andquick-release coupling 48. FIG. 8 illustrates paddle 16 and jacket 18 ina more typical orientation, and also illustrates a knob 80 that can bemanually turned to move paddle 16 and its support left-right. FIG. 9illustrates in perspective view a system in which components areidentified by reference numeral used in FIG. 1 and described inconnection with FIG. 1.

While specific examples have been described above, it should be clearthat variations thereof are within the scope of the invention defined bythe appended claim. As one of many possible examples, a similarinflatable jacket can be used on or over breast platform 12 in additionto or instead of using jacket 18 on compression paddle 16. In thatexample, such a jacket can be similarly secured to housing 14, or it canomit the side walls so that only a chamber similar to chamber 18 d (ormultiple sub-chambers) is present on breast platform 12, possibly with afront wall similar to front wall 18 a but extending down along the frontwall of housing 14

The invention claimed is:
 1. An x-ray breast imaging system comprising:a data acquisition unit comprising an x-ray source configured toselectively emit an imaging x-ray beam, an image receptor configured toreceive said beam and produce a plurality of x-ray imaging informationin response thereto, and a breast immobilizer between the source and thereceptor; said breast immobilizer comprising a breast platformconfigured to support a patient's breast for imaging with said beam anda compression paddle supported for movement toward the breast platformto compress the breast and away from the breast platform to release thebreast; said compression paddle having a front wall configured to beadjacent the patient's chest wall when the patient's breast is supportedfor said imaging, side walls extending transversely to the front wall,and an underside facing the breast platform; a paddle jacket removablysecured to the compression paddle, said jacket having a first flexiblesheet and a second flexible sheet joined at a seam, wherein the firstflexible sheet and the second flexible sheet extend along the undersideof the paddle when secured to the paddle and form an inflatable chamber,and a fluid conduit that is in fluid flow communication with saidchamber; a fluid control unit releasably coupled with said conduit, saidfluid control unit configured to selectively supply fluid to saidchamber through said conduit and thereby selectively inflate and deflatethe chamber, said fluid control unit further configured to maintain asubstantially uniform internal pressure throughout an imaging procedure;an image processor coupled with said image receptor and configured toreceive said imaging information therefrom and produce x-ray images; anda workstation and system control unit coupled with said data acquisitionunit, said fluid control unit and said image processor, and configuredto control operations thereof in response to operator inputs.
 2. Thebreast imaging system of claim 1 in which said jacket further comprisesfront and side walls extending along said front and side walls of thecompression paddle, respectively.
 3. The breast imaging system of claim2 in which one or more of the front and side walls of said jacketfurther comprise clipping members configured to releasably clip upperportions of one or more of the front and side walls of said compressionpaddle, respectively.
 4. The breast imaging system of claim 3 in whichone or more of the front and side walls of said jacket extend to aboveone or more of the front and side walls of the compression paddle andterminate in said clipping members.
 5. The breast imaging system ofclaim 1 in which one or more of the bottom and front and side walls ofsaid jacket include adhesive material such that said jacket isreleasably adhered to said compression paddle.
 6. The breast imagingsystem of claim 1 in which an exterior of one or more of the front walland bottom of said jacket include a friction-enhancing surfaceconfigured to enhance friction between said surface and a patient'sskin.
 7. The breast imaging system of claim 6 in which said frictionenhancing surface comprises a jacket surface with a sticky substancetherein or thereon.
 8. The breast imaging system of claim 1 in which atleast a bottom of said jacket is substantially transparent to visiblelight, whereby a technician adjusting a patient's breast for imaging canvisualize the breast through said jacket.
 9. The breast imaging systemof claim 1 in which said jacket comprises a vinyl material.
 10. Thebreast imaging system of claim 1 in which said jacket includes markingsof a material that attenuate said x-ray beam sufficiently to be visiblein said x-ray images.
 11. The breast imaging system of claim 1 in whichsaid chamber in divided into two or more sub-chambers that areindividually inflatable.
 12. The breast imaging system of claim 1 inwhich said jacket comprises two layers of flexible sheet material thatare seamed at least at a portion that extends along a junction betweenthe front wall and the underside of the compression paddle.
 13. Thebreast imaging system of claim 1 in which said jacket includes a frontwall and side walls that are not inflatable.
 14. The breast imagingsystem of claim 13 in which said front wall of said jacket is shortervertically than the front wall of the compression paddle.
 15. A methodof imaging a patient's breast with x-rays comprising: supporting thebreast on a breast platform and compressing the breast with acompression paddle through a paddle jacket that comprises an inflatablebottom extending along a bottom of a compression paddle and front andside walls extending respectively along front and side walls of thecompression paddle, and wherein the inflatable bottom comprises aplurality of sheet layers joined at a seam; selectively inflating anddeflating the inflatable bottom of said jacket against the patient'sbreast; imaging the compressed breast with x-ray; maintaining asubstantially uniform internal pressure of said inflatable bottomthroughout an imaging procedure; and generating x-ray images of thebreast.
 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising removably securingsaid jacket to the compression paddle before compressing the patient'sbreast.
 17. The method of claim 15 in which said securing comprisesadhering one or more of the bottom and the walls of the jacket to one ormore of an underside and the respective walls of the compression paddle.18. The method of claim 15 in which said securing comprises clipping oneor more of the front and side walls of the jacket to one or morerespective walls of the compression paddle.
 19. The method of claim 15further comprising individually inflating two or more portions of thejacket bottom.
 20. The method of claim 15 further comprising providingone or more exterior portions of said jacket with friction-enhancingsurfaces to increase friction with the patient's skin.
 21. An inflatablecompression paddle jacket configured to be releasably secured to acompression paddle configured to compresses a patient's breast for x-rayimaging, said paddle having an underside, a front wall and left andright side walls, said jacket comprising: a bottom comprising one ormore inflatable chambers, said bottom having an upper sheet surfaceconfigured to face the underside of said compression paddle when thejacket is secured to the paddle, and a lower sheet surface configured toface away from the underside of said compression paddle when the jacketis secured to the paddle; one or more of a front wall, a left side walland a right side wall configured to face one or more of the respectivewall of the compression paddle when the jacket is secured to the paddle,wherein at least one of the front wall, the left side wall, and theright side wall form a seam joining the upper sheet surface and thelower sheet surface; and a conduit connecting an interior of the one ormore of the inflatable chambers for fluid flow from an exterior thereoffor selectively inflating and deflating the one or more chambers of thejacket against the patient's breast, said conduit configured to maintaina substantially uniform internal pressure of said one or more inflatablechambers throughout an imaging procedure.
 22. The inflatable jacket ofclaim 21 in which said upper sheet surface and said lower sheet surfaceare seamed at selected portions thereof to form said one or moreinflatable chambers.
 23. The inflatable jacket of claim 22 in which saidupper sheet surface and said lower sheet surface are seamed at one ormore seams that extend at least along a lower portion of the front wallof said compression paddle when the jacket is secured to the paddle forx-ray imaging of the patient's breast.
 24. The inflatable jacket ofclaim 22 in which said upper sheet surface and said lower sheet surfaceare seamed at one or more seams that extend at least along a frontportion of the underside of said paddle when the jacket is secured tothe paddle for x-ray imaging of the patient's breast.
 25. The inflatablejacket of claim 22 in which said upper sheet surface and said lowersheet surface are seamed at one or more seams that extend at least alonga junction of the front wall and the underside of said paddle when thejacket is secured to the paddle for x-ray imaging of the patient'sbreast.
 26. The inflatable jacket of claim 22 including one or moreclipping portions at the one or more of the walls of the jacket, saidclipping portions configured to engage one or more of the respectivewalls of the compression paddle when the jacket is secured to the paddlefor x-ray imaging of the patient's breast.
 27. The inflatable jacket ofclaim 22 including sticky surfaces at a one or more of the walls andbottom of the jacket, said sticky surfaces being configured toreleasably adhere to facing surfaces of said compression paddle when thejacket is secured to the paddle for x-ray imaging of the patient'sbreast.